How to Build a Consultancy Team That Scales to £10 Million with Caroline Boston
Host: Craig Herd Guest: Caroline BostonIn this episode of the Consultancy Growth Podcast, I’m joined by Caroline Boston, Managing Director of New Minds. We dive into the critical role people strategy plays in scaling a consultancy to £10 Million and why getting your organisational design right is essential for sustainable growth.We unpack the patterns that hold consultancies back as they scale, from over-relying on founder relationships to under-investing in career paths and leadership succession. Caroline shares practical strategies on balancing employees and associates, building structures that support commercial growth, and retaining top talent without overpromoting. We also explore how benchmarking roles and salaries can protect profitability and how founders can step back without losing momentum.If you’re navigating the challenges of growing a high-performing consultancy team, this episode is packed with strategic insights you can apply immediately.Topics – Why People Strategy Must Sit at the Heart of Business Strategy – The Patterns That Stall Consultancy Growth Beyond £1M – Organisational Design: Building a Structure That Scales – Employees vs Associates: How to Get the Balance Right – Career Paths, Culture, and Retaining Top Talent – Preparing for Leadership Succession: Growing Leaders Internally– Benchmarking Salaries and Roles: Protecting Your Profit Margins – Founder Transition: Replacing Yourself Without Losing Momentum – First Steps to Build a Scalable People Strategy
--------
57:15
Escape the Grind and Build a Lasting Consultancy for Freedom & Legacy with Craig Herd
Host Craig HerdGuest Matt Hodkinson In this special crossover episode, Craig Herd, host of the Consultancy Growth Podcast, flips the mic as he joins Matt Hodkinson on The Consultancy Edge to talk openly about founder burnout, building a sustainable consultancy, and why most marketing advice for boutique firms is dead wrong.Craig shares his own story of nearly losing it all, rebuilding from the ground up, and the hard-won insights he now brings to boutique consultancy founders trying to scale beyond themselves.Why many consultancies get stuck around the £1M mark.The two dead-end paths most founders take when trying to grow.The real reason marketing agencies fail consultancies.What it means to go from "Trusted Advisor" to "Visible Expert".Thought Leadership and Craig’s 90-minute capture method.How to productise your consultancy and build a sellable firm.Why niching isn’t risky it’s the only path to scale.How Craig bounced back from 75% client loss in one week.What every founder should know before burnout takes hold.Plus, Matt and Craig riff on personal energy, succession planning, personality profiling, and why every founder should take time to redesign the business from first principles.If you're a consultancy founder who's feeling stuck, tired, or unsure what the next stage looks like this one’s for you.
--------
48:10
How to Scale a Consultancy to 80 People, £10 Million, and a PE-Backed Exit with John Howard
Host: Craig HerdGuest: John HowardIn this episode of the Consultancy Growth Podcast, I’m joined by John Howard to unpack what it really takes to move from founder-led sales to leadership-led growth, and why that shift is so critical if you want to scale sustainably.We dive into how to build a senior team you can trust, how to evolve your commercial decision-making as you grow, and how to keep your culture intact during big transitions. John also shares what makes a consultancy more attractive to buyers, how to prepare for an exit, and the emotional rollercoaster that can come with handing over the reins. Plus, we explore the changing dynamics of the consultancy marketplace and the new challenges that come with it.If you’re thinking about growing beyond founder-dependence or eventually selling your consultancy, this one’s for you.00:00 - Introduction to the Consultancy Growth Podcast00:25 - Making the Leap: From Founder-Led to Leadership-Led Growth05:07 - Building a Senior Team You Can Actually Rely On09:09 - Evolving Without Losing Your Culture13:11 - Making Smarter Commercial Decisions as You Scale18:29 - Why Bigger, Longer Contracts Matter for Growth21:02 - Thinking About Exit? Here’s What Buyers Really Want28:03 - How Long It Actually Takes to Sell a Consultancy32:26 - The Emotional Side of Letting Go34:43 - Navigating the New Challenges in Today’s Consultancy Market
--------
39:36
How Consultants Go from £10k Projects to £100k Engagements with Mark Peacock
Host: Craig HerdGuest: Mark Peacock In this episode of the Consultancy Growth Podcast, I’m joined by Mark Peacock. We dig into one of the most overlooked levers in consultancy growth: pricing strategy.We unpack the common traps consultancies fall into, from undercharging to defaulting to hourly rates, and explore how shifting to a value-based pricing model can change the game. Mark shares why pricing confidence is key, how to better communicate value, and what it takes to move beyond legacy pricing mindsets. We also get into the nitty-gritty of tiered pricing, price anchoring, and the connection between your front-end and back-end offers, plus what to do if you’re ready to start reviewing (and raising) your prices today.If pricing has ever felt like a guessing game or a subject you’ve avoided, this episode is for you.00:00 - Introduction03:12 - Why Pricing Confidence Is the First Step to Charging More05:55 - Breaking Free from the Classic Consultancy Pricing Trap8:53 - Rethinking Value: A Fresh Take on Value-Based Pricing12:07 - How to Build a Customer Value Model That Actually Works14:51 - The Link Between Positioning and Pricing (and Why It Matters)18:11 - Tiered Pricing: Giving Clients Options Without Underselling Yourself21:04 - Price Anchoring: How to Set the Stage for Better Deals24:02 - Front-End vs. Back-End: Structuring Your Offers for Profit26:53 - Pricing Is Both Art and Science and Here’s How to Balance It29:53 - Not Sure Where to Start? How to Begin Your Pricing Review32:57 - Busting the Biggest Myths About Consultancy Pricing
--------
47:00
Why The Future of Your Consultancy Depends on Understanding AI Today With Professor Joe O’Mahoney
In this episode of the Consultancy Growth Podcast, I sit down with Professor Joe O’Mahoney to explore the impact of AI on the future of consultancy and why it’s so much more than just another tool in the tech stack.We unpack the biggest misconceptions consultancy leaders have about AI, the risks firms need to be aware of, and the opportunities that come from embracing it thoughtfully. Professor Joe shares his perspective on AI as an enabling technology that’s reshaping the entire economy, including the consultancy landscape. We also dive into emerging concepts like digital twins, the critical role of trust and security, and why human connection still matters more than ever in an AI-driven world.If you’re curious about how AI will shape your consultancy and how to stay relevant without losing the human touch, this episode is for you.00:00 - Welcome to the Consultancy Growth Podcast01:26 - Why AI Isn’t Just a Tool But a Game-Changer for Consultancies03:13 - Busting the Biggest Myths About AI05:14 - The Real Risks of AI in Consultancy (and How to Manage Them)09:06 - What Digital Twins Could Mean for Your Consultancy11:20 - Training AI to Deliver Value in a Consultancy Context14:58 - Why Human Interaction Still Matters in an AI World18:24 - Where AI is Taking the Consultancy Industry22:00 - Trust, Security, and the Foundations of Responsible AI25:06 - Smarter Alternatives to Large Language Models29:04 - How AI is Redrawing the Map of the Consultancy Landscape34:11 - The Future of Human Connection in an AI-Driven Consultancy
Hosted by Craig Herd, this podcast is your ultimate guide to scaling your consultancy. Tune in for strategic insights, candid conversations with industry experts, and stories from seasoned consultancy founders. Uncover the real drivers of success and actionable advice to fast-track your growth. Subscribe now and take your consultancy to the next level.
Luister naar Consultancy Growth Podcast, Hoe overleef ik werken met Gen Z | BusinessWise en vele andere podcasts van over de hele wereld met de radio.net-app
Netherlands